Siener, William

BMSN WILLIAM V. SIENER 2 July 1952

I am William V. Siener Jr. Some called me, “Wild Bill.” I was born at home 4 February 1934, at Leavenworth, Kansas. My hair was blonde and my eyes are blue. I enlisted in the Navy in January 1952 and went to boot camp at USNTC San Diego, California. On 2 July 1952, I reported aboard USS FRANK E. EVANS (DD 754) while she was in Yokosuka, Japan, and was assigned to 1 Division as a Seaman st Apprentice. I was on the Navy Landing Party, “M” Boat coxswain, and on the Naval Gunfire Spotter Team. My GQ station was MT 51, Projectile Man.

The date was 8 September 1952, early afternoon. FRANK E. EVANS was operating North of the 38 parallel, off the coast of Tanchon, North Korea. I was on the fo’c’sle and noticed some “geysers” off our port side. The bridge saw them too and GQ was sounded immediately. My GQ station was mount 51. From where I was standing it took me about one minute to get there. After receiving 69 rounds from an enemy shore battery, FRANK E. EVANS suffered only slight damage from the near misses. There were no casualties, and fortunately, only one band-aid wound from an air burst near the 40mm mount.

In March 1954 I was transferred to USS BRUSH (DD 745). She departed in May 1954 for duties off the Korean coast, Indo China and the Formosa Straits to prevent Chinese takeover of Formosa. In 1956 I transferred to USNR as a BM3 where I served until 1966. USMCR 1966-1974 USAR 1974-1994 My military service actually began in 1949 with the Kansas Air National Guard. In August 1950 I was shipped to Korea but two months later was returned stateside for being underage. I received an honorable discharge. I served in the USMCR and USAR. My duties included avionics, logistics, military police, and security work. I retired from Federal Service on my 60 birthday. Post “retirement” I served with the California State Military Reserve where, as a Lieutenant Colonel, I was again retired due to age.

I took every advantage of military education and the GI Bill including an AA Degree from LBCC, a BSEE from CSULB and a MS in Business Management from CSUB. I also received a Certificate of Completion from McGeorge Law School, and completed the Kern County Sheriff’s Academy while serving four years as a Bakersfield (California) Reserve Police Officer.

After service I was employed in the electric utility industry where I worked for Southern California Edison, California Department of Water Resources, and CAL-OSHA where I was promoted to District Manager in Los Angeles, and ended up in Van Nuys as District Manager covering five southern counties.

My wife Hildegard and I have seven grown children. I belong to the California WIT RV Club, and to the American Volunteer Reserves(AVR). We do honors at funeral services for veterans.

Currently,“Wild Bill” resides at 11506 Martinsville Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93312. You can reach him at apitbill@sbcglobal.net or 661-588-2083.